- The Inkwell
- California
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CASuburb: smallZIP 93407Founded 1901
- Sector
- Public
- Founded
- 1901
- Motto
- Discere Faciendo
- Carnegie class
- Master's: larger programs
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Federal aid since
- 1965
- Website
- calpoly.edu
CaliforniaPublic
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is a public university in San Luis Obispo, California, with 21,996 undergraduates. It admits 31% of applicants, graduates 87% within six years and costs $18,832 a year after aid.
87%graduate
Admission rate31%
Retention96%
4-year graduation61%
Pell Grant share23%
Federal loans24%
$18,832net price / year
31%admission rate
—average SAT
87%graduate in 6 years
$96,304median earnings, 10 yrs
$16,500median debt
#83 of 1,704 for earnings#782 of 1,739 for lowest net price#95 of 1,738 for graduation rate#113 of 1,552 for selectivity
what it costs
Cost and net price
Net price is the average annual cost after grants and scholarships for full-time students who receive federal aid; it varies with family income.
Published cost
- Cost of attendance
- $36,515tuition, fees, housing, books, per year
- Tuition & fees, in-state
- $15,039
- Tuition & fees, out-of-state
- $37,005
- Average net price
- $18,832national median $19,980
Net price by family income
$0–30,000$10,354
$30,001–48,000$9,975
$48,001–75,000$12,476
$75,001–110,000$18,082
$110,001+$31,461
getting in
Admissions and test scores
Admission
- Admission rate
- 31%national median 77%
- Average SAT
- —
- SAT reading, middle 50%
- —
- SAT math, middle 50%
- —
- ACT composite, middle 50%
- —
Against the national median
Admission rate · this college31%
Admission rate · U.S. median77%
Retention · this college96%
Retention · U.S. median76%
Graduation · this college87%
Graduation · U.S. median55%
Pell share · this college23%
Pell share · U.S. median39%
after enrolling
Graduation, earnings and debt
Completion
- Graduation rate, 6 years
- 87%within 150% of normal time
- Graduation rate, 4 years
- 61%
- First-year retention
- 96%
- Award within 8 years, all students
- 87%
Earnings and debt
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $78,025
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $96,304middle 50%: $64,514–$140,884
- Median debt at graduation
- $16,500
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Earnings ten years after entry
Upper quarter$140,884
Median, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$96,304
Lower quarter$64,514
U.S. median, all colleges$58,886
Former students working and not enrolled · College Scorecard
who studies here
Students and faculty
Undergraduates
- Degree-seeking undergraduates
- 21,996
- Part-time
- 3.5%
- Women / men
- 51% / 49%
- Average age at entry
- 20.1
- First-generation students
- 25%
- Pell Grant recipients
- 23%
Faculty and resources
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- 19 : 1
- Full-time faculty
- 69%
- Average faculty salary
- $12,673 / month
- Instructional spending per student
- $11,438
- Endowment, end of year
- $296,446,884
Race and ethnicity, undergraduates
White48%
Hispanic25%
Black0.8%
Asian14%
Two or more races8.1%
U.S. nonresident0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
Unknown3.3%
25 fields of study
Most popular fields
Share of bachelor’s degrees awarded, by broad field (CIP family).
Engineering23%
Business & management17%
Agriculture11%
Computer & information sciences5.4%
Biological & biomedical sciences4.6%
Social sciences4.5%
Architecture4.3%
Communication & journalism3.5%
keep comparing
Similar colleges
Public colleges in California
| College | Net price | Grad. | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA | $5,418 | 58% | $62,756 |
| University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA | $12,672 | 75% | $72,974 |
| University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | $16,807 | 84% | $82,568 |
| California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | $2,385 | 55% | $62,555 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA | $9,404 | 68% | $77,464 |
| San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA | $9,803 | 50% | $73,299 |
Same Carnegie class, similar price
| College | Net price | Grad. | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC | $22,019 | 79% | $82,609 |
| St. Joseph's University-New York Brooklyn, NY | $18,853 | 68% | $69,712 |
| State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, NY | $19,499 | 69% | $65,774 |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse, WI | $17,064 | 71% | $65,850 |
| Towson University Towson, MD | $18,120 | 67% | $70,158 |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA | $19,972 | 68% | $57,995 |
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education — institution file, most recent cohorts. UNITID 110422. Founding year, motto and memberships: Wikidata Q1026846.